


Coming home

by ahotep100



Series: POJ [4]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-13 21:13:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 15,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7986403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahotep100/pseuds/ahotep100
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne is going to war again. Jack returns to Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was just something that popped up in my head this morning and needed to be written. I'm a little unsure where it will go at the moment, but I hope you'll be in for the ride with me and everyone we love.

”Are you nervous?” the raven-haired girl beside him asked quietly as she sat beside him in the car.  
“Why would I be?” he glanced at her, gripping the wheel tighter.  
“Because of what they will say about the fact that mum’s not with us.”  
“If you know what you’re doing, there is no need to be nervous darling.”  
“But we don’t really know what we’re doing and you are nervous!”  
“Yes we do. “  
“Aunt P’s not going to like it...”  
He sighed deeply, looking at his daughter. She looked so much like her mother.  
“Ophelia, we’ve been over this. Your mother and I agreed that you would be much safer here in Melbourne than in London.”  
“But you wanted her to come too, don’t you?”  
"You're going to have fun here. Your mother has had you placed in the same class as James Collins. That way, you have a friend in your class already."  
"Dad..."  
He sighed again. There was no point denying it to his daughter. She had the detective skills in her genes after all. He stopped the car in front of the house he had longed to see. Now, however, it seemed so empty. Wardlow wasn’t the same without his wife.


	2. Chapter 2

"I think we put Miss Phryne here, at the head of the table", the younger woman said. She still called Phryne miss out of habit. "And I think Hugh would prefer to sit with the Inspector and little Ophelia can be seated between Liz and Jane."  
"That's great Dot", she answered, not sure why she felt so restless. She sighed and stepped out of the dining room, into the hallway. Wanted to walk off her feelings. It would be so good to see them! She had not thought she would miss her niece and her little family so much, but since Henry had become ill three years prior and the three of them had moved to England, there had been pieces missing in her life and she knew it.  
She thought of the little girl who was her grandniece: Ophelia Jane Robinson. At first, she hadn't liked the name. She had wanted Jack and Phryne to pick something more common. More traditional. Like the names Dot and Hugh had chosen for their children. Phryne had calmly explained that any child of Jack's would of course have a Shakespearean name. And it wasn't as unusual as Phryne anyway.  
At that precise moment, the front door was pushed open, slamming against the wall and the girl in question materialized before her. She gave up a cry of excitement and threw herself at her. She laughed as she hugged her close to her chest. The child looked so much like her mother. She was so tiny. Her eyes and nose were Jack's, but the cheeks and mouth came from Phryne. The girl's hair had her mother's dark colouring, but was somewhat bushy, a trait probably inheritade from Jack.  
"Take it easy with your great aunt Ophelia!" Jack said, stepping into the house, carrying two big suitcases. Probably knowing of Mr Butler's six sense, he didn't seem surprised when the butler turned up as if on cue to help him. "It's great to see you again Mr B!"  
"Likewise Sir!" he answered his boss.  
She felt Ophelia loosen her grip on her and ran up to hug Mr Butler instead.  
"Hello my heart's delight and joy!" he said happily, lifting the soon to be seven year old girl, spinning her around. "You have grown into quite the lady." He continued, putting the girl down on the floor again.  
At that precise moment, She heard Dot coming out from the dining room behind her. Another squeal of joy came from Ophelia and she had just enough time to get out of the way before the little girl threw herself at Dot.  
She watched Dot embraced the little girl happily.  
"Oh how I've missed you!" Dot exclaimed. She saw the younger woman closing her eyes and breathing in the sent of the girl's hair. "And so has Liz and James. James is so excited that you're going to be classmates."  
"Where are they?" Ophelia asked curiously, looking around.  
"Hugh's bringing them. We didn't think you would arrive quite so early. Jane will not be here for another hour. Bert and Cec are picking her up."  
She suddenly felt a lump of worry in her stomach and looked at Jack.  
"Where is Phryne?  
Jack didn't meet her eyes. Instead he took an envelope from his pocket.  
"She's not coming", he said quietly and she could hint a great deal of sadness in his voice. "She decided to volonteer as a nurse during the bombings. She explains everything to you in this letter."  
At this, she felt her worry slowly turning into fear-induced anger.  
"What?!" she couldn't help the feeling sipping into her voice as she almost yelled back at Jack, snatching the letter from his hand. "Why does she need to be volonteering? Doesn't she think about her daughter at all?"  
She saw Jack opening his mouth to answer, but it was Ophelia's voice which spoke up.  
"Mum loves me! She doesn't do this to hurt me! She does it because she wants to help other people! A lot of them have been hurt during the bombings. They are dying and I'm safe!"  
She turned her head towards her grandniece who's eyes were shooting flaming daggers at her and filling up with tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for al the nice response to the first chapter! I couldn't help myself writing another chapter. (As I said, it needs to be written.) I think the idea came from the fact that the German bombings of London started 7 september 1940.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you all right Mrs Robinson?"  
The other nurse apparently saw her distress. It was bad! The air in the hospital suddenly felt thick. It was filled with moaning and cries of wounded and dying people of all ages and genders. It was bad! She stumbled out of the room. She hadn't been this emotionally affected during the other war. She needed to find some spot that was calm and quiet. Needed to find it fast! She found a broom cupboard, closed to door and embraced the darkness as she sank to the floor.

This day had not started in a good way. A little girl had come in yesterday morning, having been hit by one of the bombs. The girl had had her arm and leg amputeted and had seemed to recover. But she had found her dead in bed this morning. She hadn't been prepared for her own reaction to it. She had seen so many dead bodies before that the emotions she felt, had shocked her. The girl had only got seven years because of the bombs. Seven years! As many as her own little girl. That girl didn't deserve to die! That girl deserved to be seven! Just seven!

She often wondered what her relationship to her husband had done to her. She had changed without realising it. She hoped it was for the better, but it still scared her to think about. Jack had never forced her to change. It had just happened over time. A small ray of light sipped into the cupboard through the door. It fell on her wrist, illuminating the bracelet her daughter had made for her before her family had stepped onto the boat. She stroked it with her finger before it wandered to the swallow brooch at her chest. Tokens of her family. Artefacts she never wanted to be parted from. She regretted not having anything from Jane, but it had been a while since she last saw her ward. It suddenly felt too long. Although she never had adopted Jane officially, the girl was still her daughter. Three people had just stumbled into her life and sort of just threw it up-side-down. She missed them terribly and she realised life was always doing this. It was good at taking turns you least expected. All you could do was joining in, embracing it and have as much fun as you could.


	4. Chapter 4

"The Commissioner has arranged so you can have your old office back." Hugh brought him back from his thoughts. He glanced at his daughter one last time. She seemed happy after her talk with Prudence, chatting with Liz and her sister.

It was so good to see Jane again. It had been too long! She seemed content working with Mac at the hospital. She had taken a year off from her studies to get out in "the real world" as she called it. At first, it had concerned him, but Phryne had reassured him that Jane was doing the right thing. She had been fed up with her studies and now it seemed like she was getting back on track again. Having Mac as a mentor certainly seemed to have helped her finding the joy in medicine again. He saw Ophelia beaming up at her sister. He was glad that he had them in his life.

Leaving his wife behind was terrible. He worried about her. Wanted her to be safe. Wanted her to be with him. He knew Ophelia didn't take Phryne's decision to remain in England lightly either, but she was still eager to defend her mother's decision to stay and help.

"That's good Hugh", he answered the man beside him. "Is there any changes that I need to be aware of?"

"No, but the Commissioner seems happy that you're back."

The younger man smiled at him. He had to admit that it was good to see his extended family. He looked at his daughter again. She seemed happy, laughing together with Liz at something Mac and Jane told them. James was still the calm, quite little boy he remember, sitting beside his mother watching his sister and Ophelia. Dot had confided in Phryne being worried that he was having trouble making friends at school. It was one of the reasons why Phryne had worked pretty hard to put their daughter in the same class. He hoped everything would work out fine. Ironically, the Collins's children had inheritade the look of the parent of the opposite sex.

Elizabeth, or Liz as she was normally called, had more of a straight and a little more dark look than her mother and brother. She had turned ten about a month ago. He remembered the fight they had had over her name with both Hugh's and Dot's mothers. Dot had wanted to name the girl Phryne. After a lot of heated discussion, they had settled for Elizabeth, but Dot and Hugh kept Phryne as the middle name.

James had a much softer, rounder and lighter look and a sweeter personality that matched the children's mother. The boy had turned seven in April, born six months before his own daughter. He smiled as James hazel eyes met his own. He knew James to be timid and that he didn't really like to talk so much and often just got dragged along on whatever game his sister got up to.

The telephone rang from the hall and Mr Butler left the dinner table to answer it. It took a minute and then he came back, walking up to himself.

"Your wife is on the phone for you Sir."

He could see the butler's word piqued his daughter's interest. With a soft look and a nod, he indicated for her to stay at the table while he rose, put the napkin from his lap onto the table and went to speak to Phryne.


	5. Chapter 5

"Phryne?"

He sounded worried. She closed her eyes and let his voice wash over her. It was smooth and sexy and the warmth of it always managed to calm her.

"You have no idea how much I miss you!" she exclaimed and tried to blink away the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Well, you could have come with us and you wouldn't have that problem."

The teasing tone didn't hide his feelings. She knew he didn't want her to be here. and for a second, she felt like taking the next boat available to get to them.

"I love you!"

"I love you too!" he sighed back. Her voice apparently had the same effect on him as his did on her, because he sounded much calmer.

"How's my Little O?"

"She's fine. We're having dinner with everyone." He sighed. "You're missed." He added after a few seconds of silence and she realised for the first time that this might be harder on him than he had let on. Over the ten years that they had been together, they had become better at communicating. Not least because of Ophelia, did they need to be more open with their feelings than before. They were so in-tune with each other these days that words were not always necessary.

"Was there something special you had in mind dear?" he asked, when she did not say anything.

"No, just wanted to check if you had arrived safely." She knew it was a lie and his sigh told her, he knew it too.

"Phryne..."

"I found a little girl dead in bed this morning."

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She didn't like feeling vulnerable and even less showing other people, but he was her husband and she loved him beyond everything. He understood. She knew he did. So she let the flood free. Told him everything between sobs. Every thought. Every feeling. He didn't say anything. Didn't stop her from talking. Didn't tell her to stop crying. Just listened until all the tears and feelings had left her body and soul. It was a relief she realised. He was still there. Only half the world away. Still her husband! Still the rock she clinged to. Still her beautiful, kind Jack!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phryne's nickname for Ophelia I borrowed from the Swedish children's books about the Pip-Larsson family by Edith Unnerstad. One of the girls in those books is named Ophelia and is called "Lilla O" (Little O).  
> Also, I have no idea if you could telephone Australia from England in 1940, but Phryne can do anything she wants, so I think she's able to.


	6. Chapter 6

He felt a limb lying across his waist as he slowly returned from sleep. He reach out a hand, thinking for a second that he would find his wife's hand, but instead finding a small foot. He opened his eyes and looked down upon his sleeping daughter. She was every bit the master of taking over the entire bed as her mother.

Phryne had not been used to sharing a bed with anyone beyond sex in the early days of their relationship. He had been forced to squeeze himself onto the edge of the bed and not so few times, he had ended up on the floor. He smiled at the memory. How things can change! Nowadays she more than willingly clinged to him in sleep as if her life depended on it.

Ophelia was lying up-side-down, almost diagonally across the bed. She had woken him at four, but he had managed to get her to go back to sleep. He caressed the small foot tenderly. Feeling the love for his child overtake him.

Ten years ago, he hadn't thought it possible to love anyone as much as he loved her and his wife. He knew he felt much and too deeply. His own experience at war had shown him that and Phryne had brought it all out of him. His first marriage had crashed and burned because of it. He didn't often think about Rosie these days. He checked in on her once in awhile to see if she was good. She had remarried a widower about five years prior. He knew both Phryne and Prudence had worked hard so she and her sister wouldn't be damaged socially because of their father and Fletcher's dirty buisnesses. He looked at his daughter. Rosie was aware of her, but not the other way around. He knew it had been quite hard on her, when he had told her, he and Phryne had had a daughter. He knew she had always wanted her own children, but she seemed content with the four she got in the bargain of her new marriage. It made him happy.

"Dad", he heard her voice from the other end of the bed. It was drunk of sleep and she turned her face to look at him.

"Yes?" he answered as he continued to caress her foot. He smiled down at her.

"Do you really need to work today?"

He contemplated his answer. Wanted to be with her. He wasn't expected at City South until Monday, but he wanted to establish a routine as soon as possible.

"You know I have to", he finaly answered.

Ophelia immediately pulled away her foot from his hand and sat up in bed, facing him.

"But, we just arrived yesterday and you've told everyone it was better for me to start school next week."

"It was just so you would have time to adjust to everything."

"Don't adults need time to adjust?"

He looked up at her. Startled by her comment. Both he and Phryne encouraged her to think for herself, reflect on subjects and also to question things she heard or saw. It often backfired and she questioned him or Phryne in situations like this.

"You're too smart for me, my dear", he smiled, stretching out a hand and brushed away a wisp of her dark hair that had come loose from the plait he had made the night before. He had become pretty good at it if he might say so himself.


	7. Chapter 7

"I came to speak to the Inspector."

She let Mrs Stanley into the house and showed her into the parlor

"He and Miss Ophelia is out", she answered sweetly. "They took a bicycle trip and we don't expect them back until dinner. Mr Butler packed a large lunch basket for them."

"Is it wise to let them out alone all day?" Mrs Stanley asked and she thought the older woman sounded a little startled.

"Of course Mrs Stanley."

"But can we be sure he can handle her by himself? What if something happens?! I came here to talk to him about nannies. I have got a few recommendations that I think would work well with Ophelia's quite spirited nature."

"But neither the Inspector nor Miss Phryne want a nanny Mrs Stanley. They have said so before."

"Yes, but things have changed now. The Inspector can't possibly take care of that girl alone. What about his work?"

She sighed. She knew Mrs Stanley had wanted to meddle in the way her employers raised Miss Ophelia, but Miss Phryne had stood firm. She and the Inspector had made it perfectly clear that they wished to raise their daughter by themself, but with a little help from the rest of their mismatched family when needed of course.

"I think the Inspector handles it very well Mrs Stanley", she said.

"I'm sure that he is", the older woman replied. "However, that girl belong to a social class which he is not used to. They expect certain things from her."

"But she is only seven in a week."

"Yes, and it's about time she learns the ways of the upper classes."

She could feel the anger building inside of her. There was no better parent to Ophelia then the Inspector. He was so caring and loving. Always doting on her. Always keeping her needs in front of his own. It was obvious that he would do everything for her.

"Mrs Stanley", she said firmly. "The Inspector is a perfect father. He loves that little girl very much. I'm sorry to speak up to you like this, but being a good parent has nothing to do with social class. It all comes down to if you love your children or not and the Inspector obviously does. Let him handle it the way he thinks is best. And let us just see what happens."

"Of course, there is nothing to see", Mrs Stanley snapped, sounding a little shocked about her tone. "We all know it will go straight down hill."

She just watched the older lady quietly for a few seconds. Suddenly she realised where all of her worries came from.

"Mrs Stanley", she said in a much calmer voice. "The Inspector is nothing like the Baron. He can handle being a temporary single parent. Besides, there is nothing that indicates that parenthood must be strictly by the rules for the child to turn into a good human being. Miss Ophelia might have quite untraditional parents, but they love her and want to keep her safe."

"I'm worried she will get hurt."

"The Inspector would never allow it. Neither would Miss Phryne."

Mrs Stanley sank down into one of the armchairs.

"Do you want some tea?" she asked with a kind smile. The older woman just nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was somewhat hard to write. I wanted Dot to stand up to aunt P and aunt P to try taking over the raising of Little O due to her own fear from Phryne and Janey's childhood.


	8. Chapter 8

Her laugh made him look up from his book. He was glad he hadn't rushed to work, but just taking this day to enjoy his daughter. She was so full of energy and all those days on the boat had certainly created an overload of it. He watched her just run around the park. He smiled lovingly at her. There were so much run in those small legs and he was overwhelmed by happiness at how free she seemed. Taking her here had been worth just this moment with her running around carefree. The only thing missing was his wife.

His thoughts travelled from Ophelia to Phryne. He didn't like her being there all alone. Or really not all alone. Her parents and their friends were still there, but her phone call last night had made him realise that she was more affected than he had realised and she had let him believe. She seemed to miss him and Little O.

His wife didn't like to admit that Ophelia had changed her and he knew better than to comment on this. Her open reaction to the little girl she had found dead had actually surprised him. It was a long time since she was so emotional. It teared his heart apart just to think about how he couldn't comfort her better than by listening to her spill her thoughts and emotions out to him over the phone. He wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her and kiss her. Wanted his shirt to catch her tears as she cried into his shoulder. The tought of her being there in the middle of the ar terrified him, but just like he always did, he supported her. Was her husband from afar, taking care of their daughter. He couldn't lie and say he was happy about her decision, but he could be supportive all the same. He looked at his watch. It was time for lunch.

"Ophelia!" he called and the girl in front of him came to a halt and looked at him. "It's time for lunch darling."

He rose from the bench he had been sitting on and went to pick up the basket Mr Butler had packed for them from his bicycle. Ophelia came running up to him and together they placed out the blanket and sat down to look into the picnic basket.

"Oh!" Ophelia exclaimed happily picking up the glass container with biscuits. "Dot made the pink ones!"

"Eat the sandwiches first darling", he said, taking the biscuit container out of her hand and handing her one of the wrapped sandwiches instead. She gave him an annoyed look, but started to unwrap it.

He glanced at her while they ate. She seemed happy enough, but she was more quiet then usual.

"Is there something wrong my love?" he asked gently.

"No, nothing", the girl answered, shaking her head.

"You know it is always best to talk about your feelings. Better they come out immediately and be dealt with instead of letting them grow worse inside your mind until it all crashes down on you."

He saw his daughter eyeing him suspiciously.

"Your mother and I certainly learned that the hard way", he added with a smile, taking one of the napkins from their basket and whiping off some butter from Ophelia's cheek.

"How is that?" the girl asked curiously.

"Well, we didn't really undersstand how much we loved each other at first... Or I understood that I loved your mother, but she didn't."

"Why?"

"She was scared."

"Why?"

"She didn't think she would be as free if she loved me as she was otherwise."

He could see his daughter didn't understand him. She looked confused.

"Did she think you would put her in prison?" she asked, sounding lost about what he had said.

"No, we had worked together to put other people there long before we were in love", he told her truthfully.

"Then why?"

"She was afraid I would hurt her I think, because other people had done so before."

He realised this was not a great topic when he saw the anger starting to turn up in her eyes. She was always so protective of both himself and Phryne. He wondered how much of that came down to the incident when she was four.

"Who?" she said in a somewhat demanding tone.

"It doesn't matter", he assured her. Reaching for her and stroking her hair. "They are dead now."

That was not entirely true. Henry Fisher's health might not be what it once was and he had truely hurt Phryne, but he had changed ever since Phryne flew him home in her airplane.

He wouldn't call Phryne a careless mother, but she let their daughter come away with far more then he did. However, she always got a bit over-protective of their daughter when her father was around. He couldn't blame her, but even she had to admit that he had changed. Ophelia was her grandparents little princess. Phryne often said that they were even worse then himself. It most likely all had to do with them loosing their own youngest daughter.

Just the thought of Janey Fisher's faith got him sad. He looked at his own child. She made him unbelieveably happy on the other hand. She would turn seven in about a week, a birthday she would spend without her mother. He still couldn't believe that she was his own child sometimes. Created through his and Phryne's love. It truely was a miracle.


	9. Chapter 9

"You're the new girl, aren't you?"

She looked up to see a red-haired girl with greyish-blue eyes smiling down at her.

"Yes", she answered. "I'm Ophelia Robinson."

"I know. Miss Honey said you were coming today. I'm Alice. Alice Wilton."

She smiled at the other girl. She had felt somewhat lonely in the time between her father leaving her after their talk with the headmaster and was a little relieved someone came up to her. She had looked for James everywhere, but hadn't been able to find him. She thought it strange since he knew she was coming.

"You can sit with me if you want", Alice continued as they walked into the classroom. There was a boy with dark blonde hair already seated at a desk in the far back corner of the room, reading a book. It was here he had been hiding. She smiled and gave James Collins a small wave when he looked up from his book as she and Alice entered. He however, neither smiled nor waved back at her. Instead he sighed and turned his eyes down into the book again.

She felt a little disturbed by his behaviour. She knew he was shy and quiet, but the look he gave her was almost hostile. That was not like him at all. She glanced at him again, but he kept his eyes in the book. Confused and offended, she turned back to Alice again and followed her to two desk by the window. They sat down and Alice tried explaining to her what they would be doing in English after the break, but she couldn't really concentrate. She continued to glance back at the boy in the back corner.

"He doesn't really talk much", Alice told her, obviously following her glances. "We barely notice him anymore."

"Why?" she said, growing more confused by the second.

The other girl shrugged.

"He doesn't seem to want to be friends with anyone. His name is James."

"I know. His dad works with mine and his mum is my mum's companion and also one of her best friends."

"But you just moved here. He's always been here."

"Yes, but my parents are from here. I lived here until three years ago, when we all moved to England."

Alice and her continued to talk and when the lesson started, she was sure she had made a new friend. She would deal with "the James matter" later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no knowledge about the Australian school system either today or in 1940, but I'm going for some general description about it.
> 
> And I told you there would be more literary references. There are some more, which I'm not sure people have caught up on:  
> Ophelia lying up-side-down in bed is actually from Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking and Mr Butler's "My heart delight and joy"-greeting to Ophelia is a translation of Skalle-Per's nickname for Ronja in Ronja, the robber's daughter (also Astrid Lindgren). I Swedish "Mitt hjärtas fröjd och glädje." (I just find it so loving and beautiful.)


	10. Chapter 10

He hated her! ... Or not her precisely. He could never hate her! But he hated that she was there. He had never asked for her to be in his class. Never said anything about it to either his parents or hers. He knew it might be hard for her to be new, but she always seemed to socialize with everyone so easily. He was sure she would do fine and she had seemed to be her normal, happy self today. 

He had felt her glances in his direction throughout the day. She had no idea what it was like before he decided to make himself invisible. Had no idea how much it had hurt. At least once a day Christopher had told him, he would kill him. He had once asked his father to teach him some boxing moves, but hadn't dared to use them in defence when he needed to. It was easier to make himself invisible. Pretending he was not there.

Ophelia had already drawn too much attention to herself. Not least from Christopher. She seemed oblivious to it, but he had noticed it. It would be dangerous to show them that he knew her. He sighed. He had ignored Miss Honey's request for him to help her out since she knew their backstory. She really had seemed fine, he thought. Alice had stepped in and even though he was a little angry at her for telling Alice that his parents worked for hers, he was glad for it. He knew she might have been confused by his behaviour, but he couldn't help it. He had spent a year trying to be invisible in school and he thought he had done a good job. No one talked to him or in any other way notice him any more.

Like always, Bert and Cec had picked them up and he was lucky that Liz and Ophelia had talked enough for all five of them. He was glad, she hadn't said anything to him. He had no clue what he was supposed to tell her. That it was better if she didn't associate at all with him in school? That he hadn't asked for her to be put in his class? That she detroyed his plan to be invisible, so no one could hurt him?

He sighed and threw himself on his bed. Suddenly life had become so comlicated.


	11. Chapter 11

"James was weird!"

She smiled at her daughter's choice of opening phrase. She guessed that her husband was standing close by, rolling his eyes. To go straight to the point was a trait Ophelia had got directly from herself. Jack often complained, that she could start a conversation in the middle of it (as he called it) and that it could be considered irritating. Despite that, she loved him deeply and passionately and knew he loved her just as much.

"How do you mean weird, sweetheart?" she asked the very living, physical result of that love.

"He didn't want to talk to me or anyone really. Bert and Cec said I probably shouldn't think about it. That James has always been shy and quiet, but he seemed angry that I was there."

She didn't know how to answer her daughter. Dot had told her, James didn't have an easy time making friends in school. Her aunt had suggested that they place their daughter in one of the more fancy schools, but she and Jack had stood their grounds. They had always kept her in schools that weren't considered for elites. Not that they didn't want the best education for their daughter, but because they wanted her to get to know people in different social situations to their own. She would never want the girl to experience her own childhood, but she wanted her to be aware of social issues. She knew Jack stood behind her in this. They had never seen her as to young or stupid to be able to handle difficult subjects and Jack also often asked her questions that got her to reflect on different subjects in a way that most children her age didn't do. All of this had made Ophelia into a compassionate, thoughtful and kind little girl, humble to the world, but aware of its darker sides.

"I don't want him to hate me", the girl added and she coud hear a touch of sadness in her daughter's voice.

She immediately became concerned. James was not the most social boy. He had inherited the quietness his mother had had before she started working for her, but he had known Ophelia since he was first born and the two children had always got along fine before. She was concerned and suddenly the distance between England and Australia seemed to be endless.

"I'm sure he doesn't my love", she reassured her daughter. "I'm sure he was just having a bad day."

She didn't want to lie to her Little O, but she didn't want to voice her concern for James to her either. Not until she had talked to her husband about it.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as a bomb hit one of the houses close to the hospital where she was and both the telephone line and all of the electricity went out.


	12. Chapter 12

She was alone as she woke up in her parents big bed. There was no light outside the window and she realised that it must still be in the middle of the night. She looked around. No sign of her father anywhere. Memories of the evening before came rushing back to her.

After hearing the loud bang, her father had snatched the receiver straight out of her hand and yelled her mother's name into it, but it was still dead. She had never seen him so panicked. He normally was so cool and collected. Never scared of anything. Just like her mother... but even she had to admit, that her mother was more out looking for trouble. She had heard her mother calling her father "her rock" many times in the past and that was pretty much what he was to both of them. He was always there. Always kind. Always loving and comforting. The best dad in the whole world!

The only light sipping into the room came underneath the closed door and she hoped her father had just got up for awhile. She crawled over to his side, her hands and knees sinking into the soft mattress. She sat herself on the edge of the bed and sank down onto the floor and walked over to the door. She opened it and blinked against the bright light for a few seconds before stepping out into the upstairs hallway. As she approached the staircase, she could hear her father speaking to someone over the phone. He sounded angry, but she descended the steps quietly. He stood with his back turned, so he didn't notice her.

"I know she can take care of herself. But I'm worried. I have a child upstairs who has cried herself to sleep because of that bomb and the call being cut off. I want to know that she is fine. It might come as a surprise to you Henry, but I love my wife very much. That means that I worry for her if I can't get hold of her after hearing a bomb crash while she is on the phone with our daughter."

He went quite for awhile and she understood her grandfather said something in response, before he answered:

"Well, if you hear anything, please call me."

With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the chair next to the telephone, put the reciever back onto the hold and his hands reached up to his face, dragging themselves along it.

"Dad?" she asked calmly, walking up to him. "Are you angry?"

"I thought you were asleep my darling", he said, reaching out for her and pulling her up onto his lap. "No, I'm not angry. I'm tired and worried and frustrated and so badly want to hear from your mother."

He kissed her on the forehead. She threw her arms around his neck and they just sat there, holding each other for several minutes.

"Why did mum have to stay?" she asked. Her face turned into his shoulder. Her voice a little bit muffled.

"Because she cares too much about other people", he sighed, stroking her back gently. "You know that. You were the one to set Prudence straight when we arrived here."

"Yes, but sometimes it feels like she cares less for you and me. And I'm the only one she's given birth to!"

He let her go, so he could look into her face. "Sweetheart, you know she loves you most of all. This has nothing to do with you or me. It has to do with people being in trouble and your mother's need to help out. But tell her that the next time she calls..."

The telephone rang and got them both to jump. Her father threw himself onto the reciever, almost squishing her into him. "Phryne?!"


	13. Chapter 13

"Based on that comment, I gather, you haven't heard anything."

"No Jane", he sighed. Not disappointed that it was his foster daughter who was calling instead of his wife, but the worry still intact. While he was speaking to his older daughter, he gently stroked the younger one still sitting in his lap over the head.

"You know, it might not be the hospital that was hit. It might just be a house close by", Jane continued and he got the feeling she was trying to reassure herself just as much as him. "Have you talked to Henry or Margaret?"

"Yes. They haven't heard anything. Saying they have the radio on listening for news. All they know is that there has been another bomb raid over London and that one of the bombs hit the area where the hospital is."

He couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He blinked hard a few times, but they started rolling down his cheeks anyway. She couldn't have died. He refused to believe it. He brought his arm tighter around Ophelia's waist, trying to bring her even closer to himself. The little girl placed her head against his shoulder. This was the Gertrude Haynes incident all over again. Only this time, he could not be assured by her appearance only minutes later that she was alive and well. Now she was on the other side of the world. He didn't want to think about her lying badly hurt in a hospital bed all by herself or worse... He swallowed and kissed their daughter on her head. He thought that had been the worst time in his life, but this was far worse. Not least since he now had to care for a child. He couldn't drown his sorrow in a bottle of alcohol this time. Nor could he really be an emotional wreck like during and after that case. Phryne wasn't there to reassure him with her presence that she was alive and well.

"How is Little O?" Jane asked, puling him away from his thoughts.

He swallowed hard. Trying to hold the tears back from his voice.

"She's here with me. Doing as well as can be expected it seems. Are you able to work?"

"It's a slow night", she answered. "I'm concerned. Mac is as well."

"You're not the only ones..."

He continued to stroke his daughter's hair, feeling her body getting heavier as sleep again overtook her. Her breathing becoming deeper and unconcious. At least this time, she hadn't cried. To get her to sleep before had been a terrible experience for both of them. She had been hysterical. He had tried his best to comfort her, talking to her and just holding her close. It was no point getting her to sleep in her own bed, so he had placed her in his and Phryne's. 

Jane had become quiet. He could hear some commotion in the background and someone clearly calling for her.

"I need to go", she said a little stressed than before. "Hopefully, I'll be home around 7 as usual. Call if you hear anything."

He ended the call and looked down on his sleeping daughter. He smiled a sad smile. She was so beautiful and all his and Phryne's! Contrary to Dot and Hugh, he wasn't a religious man at all, but he prayed to whoever heard that Phryne would be alive and well and coming home soon so they together could watch their child grew up.


	14. Chapter 14

He watched her from his lonely table in the corner as she sat with Katie and Alice in the lunch room. She had glanced more towards him today than yesterday. She also seemed more subdued than usual, but also somewhat angry. He wondered if it was all the worry she probably felt for her mother.

She had spent all of their physical education's class this morning outrunning the other boys. They hadn't liked it and neither had their teacher Mr Harris. He was really worried for her. She had no idea what Christopher was like and he was Mr Harris's favourite because of his talent for running. No good could come from a girl outrunning him!

Suddenly, he saw her rise from the table, gather her things and almost running out of the lunch room, obviously upset by something. He looked down at the book he was reading and the lunch he had barely touched and made a hasty decison.

~~phrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrack~~

He found her in their classroom. She had taken up a paper and a grey pencil and was pushing it hard down onto it.

"Haven't you heard anything from aunt Phryne?" he asked gently. She looked up at him. The surprise written all over her face and tears hanging in her eyelids. She only shook her head in response. He went over to her and sat down at the desk next to hers. 

"Oh James!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck. He didn't know what to do at first, but realised that she needed him. He wasn't good at situations like this. Didn't like too strong feelings, because you never knew people's reaction to them. But she needed him, so he had to try. He brought his arms around her vaist, hoping he could bring her at least a little comfort. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you've all been dying to hear from Phryne and I originally thought this chapter to be the one where Jack, Little O and the others got to know what happened to her. However James wanted to give his POV too first.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday today (10/10) and I had hoped to be writing a chapter of when Ophelia celebrated hers because of this, but the story wanted otherwise and I hope you like the chapter you get instead.

Ophelia! 

She hadn't been able to think about anything else since the bomb exploded. Her brain seemed to work overload, but any other thoughts kept rushing through her head and disappearing before she could grasp them.

Ophelia!

All seemed very foggy. There were to many feelings going around for her to graps anyone of them. The window in front of the desk where she had sat had crashed due to the pressure of the bomb and the glass had scratched her face. She didn't notice any pain. Nor the blood running down it. She and the other nurses had had to tend to both each other and the patients. 

Ophelia!

It was late, but after what seemed like an endless drive (God! How she missed her loyal Hispano!), she drove up the driveway of her parents mansion. Finally she would be able to call them. It had been too long. She wondered what state her loved ones would be in.

Ophelia!

"Phryne!" she heard her mother exclaimed as she rushed inside and threw herself onto the telephone. The older woman sounding relieved to see her, but she had no time to greet her. Her daughters and husband at the forfront of her mind. She rushed to the telephone and dialed the so familiar number of his office,f figuring he most likely would be at work.

He answered quickly as if he had been waiting by the telephone and she felt all of the feelings of the last day welling up inside of her.

"Jack!" she whimpered into the reciever.

"Phryne?!"

The relief evident in his voice. It got her to cry even more.

"I love you!" she whispered between tears,taking in huge gulps of air. "...So much!"

"Please come home!"


	16. Chapter 16

He thought he had never felt such relief as when he heard her voice say his name. If he could he'd walk back to England just to be able to hold her at this very moment. His eyes fell to the photos of her and their daughters on his desk.

"Please come home!" he breathed out.

"I can't..." she whimpered in return and somehow he felt himself getting angry by that answer. He felt endless relief and love for her, but somehow the anger still overflew him.

"Why?!" he asked sternly.

"I have a job to do here. These people need me."

"Well, I need my wife here with me! At home!" 

"Please don't be like that!" He could hear her anger rising as well. "I only married you because you promised you'd never controll me. And now you're trying to get me to come to you only because you think you need me more."

"I'm not trying to control you", he almost growled into the reciever, trying not to take offense in her words. They were said in anger, weren't they? "Our daughter cried herself to sleep last night because of the phone call being interrupted. I was up all night worrying for you. Trying to contact you. Trying to get to know if you were alive."

The anger he had felt, diminished quickly and turned into an overwhelming mix of sadness and relief. Soon he couldn't stop the tears anymore.

"I was so very scared Phryne", he sobbed. "So very scared! Please come home!"


	17. Chapter 17

Her heart broke at the sound of his tearfilled voice. It was so small and distant. He sounded more scared than she had ever heard him before. She thought back to their fall-out in connection with the murder of Gertie. She still felt bad from time to time about her behaviour. She didn't know then. Didn't understand the depth of his feelings. Neither for her nor in general. Now, after ten years she knew he thought too deeply and too hard about things. Everything he did or said was well thought out and contemplated. In the beginning she had often accused him of not being spontaneous enough, but in retroaspect she had realised that he was more so than she had thought at first. He came chasing her across half the world once, not knowing if she would want him when he arrived nor if he would have a job to get back to in Melbourne. Nothing could make her forget how worried he looked as he stood in the hallway of her parents's mansion. The very house she was in right now. The long trip had given him too much time to think. Her dear Jack! He wasn't to be left alone with his thoughts. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to hold him. Kiss him and telling him all would be better.

"I need you", he whimpered. "Ophelia and Jane do too."

"I'll buy a ticket to the boat next week", she said, gulping down the tears.

Feeling the tears overtaking her again, she ended the call.

"How were they?"

She looked up at her mother, standing in front of her. She had been too caught up in Jack and hadn't realised she had been there. Probably all the time.

"He seems relieved now."

Her mother sat down in the vacant chair, next to the one she had been sitting on the whole phone call.

"He doesn't want to control you", Margaret Fisher sighed.

"I know."

"Phryne, I have never seen a man love anyone as much as Jack loves you. That's why he worries for you. He is nothing like your father."

"I know that! Where are you going with this?"

"Sometimes I think he is so scared of loosing you that he represses his own feelings and thoughts about certain matters."

Her mother's words stung in her heart.

"I've watched you for three years Phryne. From time to time I've got the feeling that he holds himself back because of you. The few times you do argue openly, he seems scared you will leave him, so he takes a step back, letting you win the argument."

"Surely, you can't mean this."

"I don't think you do it conciously and he doesn't seem to want you to know it, but I recognises it well. He knows you are afraid of being controlled and changed, that is why he lets you win your fights or stops them before you even start. He left you here without a bigger argument because of it."

"How do you know this? Has he said anything?"

Now she became worried. She felt selfish. Never had she realised he could still be so insecure in their relationship.

"No", her mother answered. "Of course not. I just recognise the signs."

"From where?"

"From myself. Before everything with Eugene I was the same way. I loved my husband and didn't want to loose him, so I let him be as free as he wanted."

Suddenly, she felt sick. Her mother was practially saying she was behaving like her father!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Some explanations. First of all: I really adore Phryne with all my heart. (I can't stress that enough!!!)  
> It's just that I think she from time to time acts very inconsiderate of Jack's feelings. In the series it is mainly because she doesn't understand them (they are deeper than she is probably used to) and treats him like she would any other man and the fact that he doesn't react like them makes her feel confused from time to time. This is most evident in Blood at the wheel. I love their fall-out at the end of that episode, but I have to say that I was quite disappointed at the solution of their fightings in The Blood of Juana the Mad because there aren't really any... They just make up and never talks about it afterwards and it was such a big deal for both of them (mostly for Jack) and they could have used it for a very good and interesting character growth for Phryne. She could have reflected more on why Jack reacts the way he does. Now it ends up with her treating Jack in the exact same way as usual in Death Defying Feats for example. I know many people wants her to be unapologetic, but that doesn't mean she can walk around hurting people who cares about her. That makes her behaviour exactly like her father's.  
> And Jack is genuinly scared and worried and feels threatened by her having sex with lots of men. He would never try to control her or force her to give that up, but I think it is something that the fear of loosing her is so strong (not least since Phryne is very clear that she doesn't want to get married) and that he keeps throughout their relationship and never voices. And I do think this is a similarity between Jack and Margaret Fisher. Not least due to the similarities between Phryne and her father.  
> I have seen other expressions of Jack's insecurities in their relationship in other fanfictions and how he is scared of her leaving him and mostly it is depicted as her being hurt by these feelings and even though I understand that she is, I wanted her to reflect on them. I think they both need it and it was actually the reason why I wanted Margaret to talk to Phryne about it because Jack is probably to afraid to say anything and by connecting Jack's feelings to her own, she can make Phryne see that she behaves similar to her father. That is probably the last thing she wants and her caring nature and love for her him wouldn't allow Jack to end up like her mother either.

Much happened at once. Almost as soon as he had got of the phone with his wife, Hugh shouted at him from the front desk.

"Sir, a girl has been found dead in the Yarra. The description matches Sally Brown."

Then telephone rang again as he was about to pick up his coat and hat.

"Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, City South Police Station."

"Jack..." It was his wife's voice, but it sounded subdued and distant. Like she had been crying, which, from what he got out of their phone call a couple of minutes ago, she probably had.

"Phryne?" he asked. His worry starting to rise again. Had she been hurt again?

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do."

"And you trust me, right?"

"Of course I do. But I don't really have time to talk at the moment. The missing teenage girl we've been out looking for might have turned up dead."

"Oh." He thought she sounded strange. It was a tone she normally had, when she felt bad for some reasons and he couldn't think of a reason why she would.

"Was it something special dear?"

"Nothing that can't wait. Just remember that I love you very much."

"Will do."

He was very surprised as he heard her kiss the reciever like they both usually did only with Ophelia. He thought it must have to do with her being scared and emotional. Checking that no one was around, he kissed it right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Sally Brown: I saw a Peanut comic at the moment of deciding her name and it was literally the first name that popped up in my head.


	19. Chapter 19

She watched him over the case file she was currently adding to. The body of the blonde girl Sally Brown who only got 14 years on the planet on the table between them. He seemed extremely tired, but relieved. No worry left on his face.

"I take it you have heard from her."

"Yes", he looked up at her. "She seems fine, but somewhat more emotional than I think I have ever heard her. Right before I left the station she called asking if I knew she loved me. And we had spoken only minutes before."

"Well, not even Phryne can remain totally unemotional to nearly being bombed."

He nodded.

"Sally Brown here was both way too drunk and too pregnant for a 14-year-old."

"She was the daughter of a strict protestant priest..."

"Well, even they get into trouble from time to time. There are no sign of her being mistreated in any way or that she struggled so I would say it was either an accident or a suicide."

"Suicide because of her condition?"

"Possibly."

"She is too young... for all of it."

She watched him turning around. Probably to collect himself. He had never really been good a repressing his emotions. It didn't matter how hard he tried, they still came tumbling out of him. His deep feelings had always made it difficult in his line of work. She knew he always felt quite deeply for the victims, but since Ophelia was born, children and teenagers had been particularly hard on him.

"How is my god-daughter?" she asked, trying to get his toughts away from the dead girl at the table between them.

"She cried herself to sleep last night", he answered. "I figured I need to go pick her up after this. She would be happy to hear her mother is fine. She was much more subdued than usual this morning. Probably very tired. It was a long night for both of us."

She nodded in understanding. The little girl had certainly got a mix of both her parents's personalities. She could be just as reckless as Phryne and acting on impulse rather than thoughts, but her emotions ran just as deep as Jack's.

"I got her to say she'd buy a ticket for the boat next week", he suddenly blurted out.

"You don't seem so happy about that", she answered.

"If only that was a guarantee of her actually stepping onto the boat, I would be."

She nodded again, understanding completely. She saw him looking down at his watch.

"I need to go pick up Little O. Then it's off to talk to this girl's parents... It's never easy."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have seen, I have written a shorter fic in the same series (Love is the only thing that matters) as this and I think there will be more of those in the future, when I feel the need to write aspects of their characters that is not included in this one, I want to explore what has happened over the 11 years that we have missed or just get an idea that doesn't fit into this story.  
> This chapter I hope is much less angsty than the previous few have been.

She gave up a happy squeal as she saw him standing by the car when she got out of school after her last lesson of the day. He held out his arms as she ran up to him. She threw herself into them and he spun her around before holding her close.

"Your mother is fine", was the first thing he said into her hair. "She called. She's at your grandparents's house."

"Thank God!" she said relieved, hugging him again. "I love her."

"I know. We can call her tonight, but I have to go back to work when I have dropped you off."

"Where is Bert and Cec?"

"I told them I would pick you up today. I wanted to tell you as soon as possible."

"Thank you daddy!" she kissed him repeatedly on the cheek.

"You're welcome my dear", he said with a smile, opening the car door for her and putting her down on the ground again.

He started looking around and she saw his gaze fall on James, standing a bit away from them on the school yard.

"Come on James!" he said. "I told Hugh I would pick you up as well."

James walked up to them.

"But Liz..." he said in his usual, quite voice.

"We have arranged for your father to pick her up later. You don't have to wait for her. Besides, your mother is at our place still."

She and James took place in the backseat and her father at the wheel.

"So, did you have fun today?" her dad said, as he started the car and pulled out of the school's parking lot.

"Yes", she said excitedly. "I outran everyone!"

"You did?!"

"Yes dad! The teacher didn't seem happy about that, but everyone was **really** slow. I would have been faster even with mum's shoes!"

Her father laughed at that, but as she glanced at James, she realised he didn't join in. He was as stern looking as ever. If anything, she thought he looked even more serious than usual.

"And we had lunch together", she said, unsure of how much James wanted her to tell. It had felt like a moment that was just theirs. He glanced over at him again, but he nodded in agreement. She didn't say anything about her them eating in the classroom, about her being sad, about Katie and Alice being quite intrusive or about their hug.

She looked up and saw her father watching her in the rear view mirror. He probably knew she had been sad without her saying so. He wasn't the most talkative person either. Meeting her father's eyes and then turning to watch James made her realise that she liked those people. Quite a lot actually!


	21. Chapter 21

"Robinson residensce?"

She sighed. It was good to hear Mr Butler's voice. She realised that she missed him terribly. Her parents's butler Mr Moore was not bad, but nothing like Mr B.

"Oh Mr Butler, how great it is to hear your voice!" she exclaimed.

"Likewise Miss Fisher."

She smiled. Even after having been Mrs Robinson for 10 years, most people still called her Miss Fisher. Even Jack used it most of the time, but when she thought about it, he had only called her Phryne since he and Ophelia left for Australia. He was the only one who could make her like the name Mrs Robinson and he often said it in heated passion during their most intimate moments. Just like she saved his real name John for those occasions as well. She missed him. Longed for his kisses and to fall asleep in his arms after a long passionate round of sex.

"I'm afraid the Inspector is not at home yet", Mr Butler said. "He had to go back to work after picking Miss O up from school."

"Oh. Is my Little O at home then?"

"Yes, I can go get her for you."

She heard him put down the phone and walk away. Only about a minute later, she heard heavy feet thunder down the stairs and right afterwards her daughter's somewhat breathless voice in the phone.

"Mummy?!"

"Hi my love!"

"I thought you died mum!" the girl exclaimed and she could hear her starting to cry.

Listening to her daughter tear up, made her heart ache. She realised she was experiencing one of those moments when her child overwhelmed her. She hadn't known it would be like this. Loving her child so intensely. Finding out she was pregnant had been rather terrible. She hadn't known what to do at first. Had yelled at Mac when she told her. Had cried when she finally had to tell Jack. She knew he wanted children, but he had told her he would support her in whatever choice she would make. In light of her mother's words, she wondered how many times he had surpressed his own feelings for her. No, she wouldn't think like that! She would talk to Jack about it. Ensure him that she loved him more than anything in the world and that she wanted him to feel confident about telling her his thoughts and feelings. 

"I...lo-ve...you...mum-my!" Ophelia got out between sobs.

"I love you too sweetheart!" she said, closing her eyes to the immense love she felt for her daughter. The love that had made her keep her. She was all for women's right to have an abortion, but thinking over her pregnancy and talking about it with Jack, made her realise that she actually wanted the child growing inside her. The child wasn't a result of one of her flings. The girl had been created out of the pure love she felt for her husband. She was created through love and happiness. She wouldn't ever think of her child as a limitation of her freedom. She would think of her only with happiness and joy. She had grown up, unsure of her father's love for her. She would never let her own child feel that way.

Ophelia, like she always did when she talked to either of her parents, grandparents, Mac, Dot or Jane, kissed the reciever. She kissed it right back.

"Now, calm down and tell me about your day", she said calmly. She could hear her daughter taking three deep breaths.

"Everyone in my class was really slow so I out-ran everyone", she said, sounding calmer and happier. Clearly, she was proud of this. "The teacher didn't seem happy about that. Neither did this boy Christopher. And I had lunch with James and dad came and picked up me and James and I've been playing all afternoon with him. He doesn't talk much, but I think I like him anyway. But then Dottie and him went home. Dad had to go back to work, but he says he's going to invite grandma or we can go visit her in Adelaide. I really want to see her mum."

She breathed out a relieved smile at hearing her daughter tell her what had happened in her life today. It sounded so ordinary, but still so wonderful. It made her calm and happy that she was able to have an ordinary childhood during the circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because there have been so much talk about Nathan and Adelaide lately, I felt like it would be good to put Jack's mother there.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clearify: Like I said in the comments at the end of chapter 5 (the first where Phryne calls) I have no idea if you could actually telephone Australia from England or the other way around in 1940. It is a choise I have made because I need a simple way for Phryne to be able to connect with the other main characters of the story. I find the question of how much can you change interesting. I am an archaeologist, so it's my job to study the past and present it to the public. The problem is that there are so much about the past that we don't know. (People would probably be surprised by this, since it's never said in any book.) I agree that there is a lot easier for the more recent past to find information, but I don't think that there ever will be a period piece that is 100% historically correct.  
> Writing this story also give me difficulties in the fact that I'm Swedish. That means that I'm mostly familiar with what happened in Sweden during this time. Basically all my knowledge of Britain during World War 2 comes from Horrible Histories and my knowledge of Australia is even more limited. Not least since I have been to England, but not to Australia. But I know the characters from the TV show. This is why I have chosen to focus more on their thoughts and feelings and the reason for writing each chapter through one character's perspective. Even though I love learning about time period, this perspective is the one I have chosen because it would cause me least trouble with being historically incorrect. The telephone was invented and frequently used throughout the show. That is why I have chosen to make it a communication device across the world. The cell phone, however, is not invented, so Phryne can't really use that. Is everyone clear of this now? If the story turns out the way I intend, there will be more stretching of the truths. Not least because I intend to use a couple of historically real people in this.
> 
> Phryne's reaction to her pregnancy is taken from my cousin's. She has said since she was 14 that she would never have children, but when she found herself pregnant last year, she still decided to keep it and she reallt loves her son more than anything. I thought it was a reaction that Phryne might have as well. Sometimes life throws things at you that you don't expect, but you still have to deal with. And Phryne is not someone who likes those challenges and never regrets any choices.

It was late. He never would have thought it would take him so long to finish up the case of Sally Brown. It had been a mess. Her mother had been in tears and her father had seemed sad as well... Up until the point when he and Hugh had had to tell the parents of their daughter's pregnancy. Then he had turned vile. Yelling at them and throwing things and furnitures around. He had clearly not been taking it well. After speaking to the maid and a couple of Sally's friends, it had turned even more tragic. Her best friend Evelyn had at last opened up about Sally being druged and raped by a boy named Bill on a school trip last month. Sally hadn't dared to tell her parents of either the rape or the pregnancy that was the outcome of it. Bill was arrested and had confessed everything. But he hadn't killed her. Jack thought it most likely that young Sally Brown had taken her own life due to her condition.

He met Jane at the door and wished her good luck for the night. She seemed to really enjoy working nights at the hospital. She slept while Little O was in school and he was at work and then enjoyed dinner and hanging out with both of them up until she had to leave for work.

"Your wife called Sir", Mr Butler informed him. "She talked to miss Ophelia and Jane. It's good to hear she is well."

"Yes", he answered, giving Mr Butler a tired smile. "Is Ophelia in bed?"

"I think so Sir. Miss Jane and her read to each other right before she went to work."

He smiled. Reading was part of the routine he and Phryne had set in for putting their daughter to bed already when she was first born. When she, herself, learned to read, they had made her participate so they read to each other. He knew Jane loved reading to her sister. It was a bond they shared, whenever they were together. Therefore he had stood back from it since they arrived a week prior.

He took off his coat and hat and walked up the stairs. Maybe he would find his daughter still awake in bed. After everything that had happened to Sally Brown, he felt a desperate need to see her. Mostly to reassure himself that she was all right. As he reached the upstairs corridor, he could see the soft light of his daughter's bedside lamp sip through the opening in her bedroom door. Jane had left it ajar like it always was during the evenings and nights. As he got closer, he could hear her giggle. It was one of his favourite sounds. Carefully, he opened the door. She was lying in bed, the Alice in Wonderland book held open over her head and her teddy bear named Victor lying on her stomach.

"Are you reading ahead?!" he asked in mocked shock as he stepped into the room. "What would Jane think about that?"

He was rewarded with her smile.

"I think Jane has already read this book dad. She has read everything. I said that I wanted super powers like mum and she said that I already have one."

"And what is that?" He really was interested in what Jane would make up as super power for her sister.

"I can read!" she exclaimed happily and laughed.

He smiled and sat down on the side of Ophelia's bed. He stroked her over her cheek and she kissed it. While moving away his hand, she grabbed it, and put her hand in his. It was so delicate that his big one always swallowed it. It made him feel protective of his daughter and his thumb stroked acroos her hand. He thought about poor Sally Brown. Looking down at his daughter, he could not believe her father's behaviour when told that his daughter was pregnant. Even, when he had told him about the pregnancy was the result of a rape, had he been angry.

"Ophelia", he said softly, taking his free hand and stroking her dark hair. She looked up at him. "If you ever get into trouble, please tell me! No matter what it is or how mad you think I'll get. Please promise me you'll always talk to me and your mother about it. I want you to know that you can trust me."

Ophelia nodded, seemingly confused. He smiled.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter I will introduce you to a real person because I think Phryne (and Jack) would love to be friends with him. His name is Harry Söderman and he was among other things the founder of the Swedish national forensics lab and co-founder of Interpol. In 1939 he hired a secretary named Astrid Lindgren who later on would become an extremely famous writer (She's treated like a Saint over here in Sweden.). Among her books are Pippi Longstocking and the mystery books about the Master detective Kalle Blomkvist. In the latter case, she was inspired by Harry. This is where I need to stretch the truths a little. Kalle uses a code language called rövarspråk (robber's language) that Astrid's husband made up as a child. Here I will let Harry and Phryne use it. It's very simple. You double all the consonants and put an o in between. Some of the information he will give Phryne here is real as is the other information about him in this chapter. He actually did all that (and more)!

She broke open the envelope, took out the letter inside and unfolded it.

 

_Dodearor Pophohrorynone,_ _**(Dear Phryne,)** _

_I hohopope tothohatot you anondod youror fofamomiloly arore wowelollol._ **_(I hope that you and your family are well.)_**

_I hohearordod aboboutot tothohe bobomombobinongogsos ofof Lolonondodonon anondod tothohougoghohtot I wowouloldod wowroritote toto you._ **_(I heard about the bombings of London and thought I would write to you.)_**

_Soswowedodenon hohasos nonotot yetot bobeenon atottotacockokedod, bobutot Nonororwoway anondod Dodenonmomarorkok are unondoderor Gogerormomanon coconontrolol anondod Fofinonlolanondod hohasos bobeenon atottotacockokedod boby Rorusossosia. Momanony momenon ofof tothohe Nonororwowegogianon opoppoposositotionon hohavove fofloledod hoherore anondod I hohopope toto cocolollolecoctot tothohemom anondod totrorainon tothohemom inontoto anon arormomy, roreadody toto fofroree Nonororwoway._ **_(Sweden has not yet been attacked, but Norway and Denmark are under German control and Finland has been attacked by Russia. Many men of the Norwegian opposition have fled here and I hope to collect them and train the into an army, ready to free Norway.)_**

_Poploleasose sosenondod mome a rorepoploly soso I koknonowow tothohatot you, Jojacockok anondod Opophohelolia arore fofinone._ **_(Please send me a reply so I know that you, Jack and Ophelia are fine.)_**

_/Harry Söderman_

 

> ~~[From here on I will write every conversation in rövarspråk as ordinary English, just in italic.]~~

 

She smiled. You could always count on Harry to use rövarspråk. Probably best during the circumstances, she thought. You never knew who would be reading the letters these days. Training Norwegians seemed just like a project Harry would engage himself in.

She and Jack had met Harry while travelling in the Nordic countries right before she had found herself pregnant with Ophelia. He was a really interesting character. Just like herself, he didn't limit himself to anything. Jack hadn't seemed to like him at first. Thinking about what her mother had said, she wondered how much it had come down to him being worried she would leave him. Harry was quite a charmer and known to be a lady's man. He had, however, won Jack over by telling him about the time he tried to travel around the world on a bicycle. She smiled at the thought. That certainly had left her sensitive husband impressed. Harry had got as far as China and had told them vividly about shooting duels with robbers and lova affairs with daughters of maharajas. She laughed when thinking about it. When he got home, he had been snowed in with a French man in the mountain in Northern Sweden that had got him an internship at the forensics lab in Lyon where he had got his PhD in ballistics. Because of this and the big pistol, he always carried around, he was nicknamed "Revolver-Harry" (or Pistol-Harry, she thought that his name would be in English, but pistol was really the Swedish word for gun). Nowadays he was back in Sweden and had recently opened up a new Swedish forensics lab. She wondered what would become of all the Norwegians he wanted to make a secret army of. It would be great if he managed. Anything to give Hitler a hard time would be welcomed at this point. She felt a little like she wanted to go to Sweden and help. She wondered what Jack would say about that.

 


	24. Chapter 24

She met him at the gate dressed in her raincoat and sou'wester. The yellow colour of the ensemble really stood out in the heavy rain. She couldn't have taken many steps from the front door to the gate, but the water had already coated her. Big water drops slowly wandering down towards the hem of the coat at her knees and dripping down from her hat.

"Mum called..." she said with a big sigh, before looking down on the ground. "...She's not coming."

He closed his eyes and mimiced his daughter's heavy sigh.

"Are you sad?" she inquired, watching him cautiously.

"No", he answered feeling a little confused about his feelings. "I don't think I am... I think I did expect it."

"Me too", she said quietly, nodding her head in understanding. The water falling faster from her head down to her coat.

"We have it pretty good anyway, don't we?" he smiled sadly, reaching out his hand to her upstretched face and stroked her cheek.

She nodded and met his smile with one of our own, before throwing herself into his arms.

"She wanted you to call", she said into his wet trench coat.

"Where are you going", he said, releasing her.

"Jane and I have been invited to Dot and Hugh's for dinner. But don't worry. We will eat with you as well. Liz is cooking."

He nodded in understanding. Liz had strangely inherit her namesakes's cooking skills and not her mother's. She wanted to experiment as much as Mac, ending up with flavours that didn't really fit together (also just like Mac) most of the time and burnt the food just as much as his wife. In Liz's case it might be due to her being new to the crafts and only ten years old. Not being home for more than a little over a week, he had already had to many of her biscuits that Hugh had brought with him to work.

At this precise moment, Jane emerged in the doorway, dressed in a marine raincoat with the hood up over her head. She smiled as she got up to them, car keys in hand.

"I suppose she's already told you about Phryne and us having dinner made by Liz", she smiled. "We have told Mr B he can serve you dinner as usual and we heat it when we get home."

"I don't think I mind waiting to eat with you", he said kissing both his daughters on the cheek. "I'll just grab a sandwich."

Jane nodded and the girls moved past him. As he reached the porch, Jane called from the car.

"Aunt P is here."

He sighed. Just what he needed. Someone meddling in his parenting again. He smiled and waved as Jane drove away.

 

~~phrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrack~~

 

"Oh Jack did the girls tell you, Phryne's not coming?" the elderly lady came rushing up to him from the parlour as he hung up his wet coat and hat just as Mr Butler emerged from the dining room to help him. 

"Yes Prudence", he sighed.

"Well, can't you do something?"

"You know as well as I do, that my wife does pretty much whatever she wants."

"But..."

"I'm going to call her Prudence."

He sat down at the chair beside the telephone and picked up the reciever. The number to his in laws had for a long time been etched into his mind. The butler answered quickly and he asked for his wife.

"Jack?" she said happily.

"Why did you miss the boat?" He tried sounding just as straight forward as her.

"Well, I got a letter from Harry. You know Söderman. He told me about a very interesting project he has going on over there..."

"So you want to go to Sweden..." he stated with a sigh, feeling the disappointment spread through his body. Apparentely she wanted to be anywhere but with him.

"Yes. And I'll probably be much safer there. They haven't been attacked."

"Do whatever you want Phryne."

She went quiet.

"You don't want me to go, do you?" she said after some second.

"Well, I don't think I can stop you..."

"I love you."

"I know."

"You know you can tell me how you feel, right?"

"Yes."

"You know I won't leave you if you do, right?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I want you to tell me exactly how you feel about this."

"What's the matter Phryne?" he said, confused about her questions and tone.

"I kind of talked to mother..."

"And what did she say this time?" He sighed. He liked his mother in law, but she could be just as nosy as her sister.

"She said that you might be afraid to tell me how you really think and feel."

He became quiet. He had no idea what to say. He had no idea that it was so obvious that others could see it. Her getting tired of him and leaving was one of his biggest fears. When they had finally started building a life together, he had started counting the days until she would tire of him. He tried to mentally prepare himself for that moment. His fears had become weaker as the years went by and Ophelia was born, but it was still there at the back of his mind. He knew being tied to him and their child was not something she had wanted. He swallowed hard, glancing over at Prudence standing in the doorway to the parlour, watching him.

"I can't talk about this now Phryne. Do whatever you want. Your aunt is here. I have to go! Bye!"

He didn't let her respond. Just hung up the telephone. He let his head fall back against the handrail, closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to steady his thoughts and feelings. He didn't want to cry. Not now!

"Do you think she's avoiding me?" Prudence said after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Or me..." he answered, raising from the chairs to go make himself a sandwich.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!  
> I will take away the author's note and make this chapter 25, but I needed to show you it was a real update.

"Did you talk to him?"

She looked up, seeing her mother standing in the door frame.

"I tried", she sighed. "Aunt P was there."

Her mother, walked slowly into her bedroom, sitting down on the side of it. With her sitting in the middle of the bed, her back resting against the headboard, it felt like the evenings tucking her daughter into bed. Had her mother ever done that to her and Janey? She tried to remember, but came up with nothing.

"He hung up on me", she managed to get out. Her words restrained.

"Did you try again?"

"Yes, Mr Butler tried to get him to come to the phone, but he didn't want to."

"He's probably disappointed you didn't get onto that boat."

"After what you said, I think he's scared to talk to me. But I want nothing more right now than to talk to him. Really talk to him. About him! I've come to realise that it's been so long since we talked about him. Everything these days seems to be about Ophelia... or me. But mostly Ophelia."

"Well, Ophelia is your shared responsibility. It's great that you talk about her. Your father and I didn't often talk much about you and Janey. I often wanted to, but you know what he was like back then. After... what happened, I needed it even more, but he wasn't exactly there. Then we inherited all the money and moved and it seemed like we got a fresh start."

"I remember that", she nodded. She knew her mother had had a hard time with everything that happened all at once back then. Looking up into her mother's eyes, she saw the sorrow ever so present in the deep blue orbs and realised she hadn't exactly been there for her mother either.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you", she whispered with a voice full of emotions.

"You were still a child and you suffered too. We all have our own ways of dealing with grief and sorrow. Everything will turn out fine in the end, but we need to let it take time. It got a lot better after you and Jack found her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, finally I knew where she was and what had happened to her. She was my baby... of course you are too Phryne dear, but you have always been good at taking care of yourself. Finally I could grieve over her."

"I can't imagine losing my Little O. I don't even want to think about that time she got kidnapped. And we found her only hours later. The time we didn't know was utterly terrifying. It was Janey all over again."

"Well, from what you and Jack told us, it sounded like it was the kidnappers you should have been worried about. She certainly has your spirit my love."

She met her mother's eyes and they smiled at each other.

"I was actually quite surprised when you told me you would keep her", her mother continued after a few seconds of silence. "After all you had said you wouldn't ever have children since you were 13."

"From time to time I'm surprised about that too", she answered honestly. "I think it was mostly because of Jack. The love I feel for him is so passionate and pure and Ophelia is the manifestation of that love. Besides, parenting Jane did give me a totally different outlook on having children."

As she told her mother about her decision to keep Ophelia, she got a memory flashback to the day she had given birth to her daughter. She had more or less forced Mac to smuggle Jack into the hospital room, not wanting him to miss out on their daughter's birth. Of course he had been much more emotional and overwhelmed than she had. Her poor, sensitive husband! Seeing him hold their daughter afterwards had tugged more at her heart than anything ever had before. He stared at the baby girl with such intense love that she knew that she had made the right decision. He had stroked the raven locks on the baby's head before stroking her cheek softly. Their daughters tiny hand, suddenly reached out and grabbed his big, beautiful finger. This made even more tears fall from his eyes. " _I don't understand it, but you are already holding my heart in those hands_ ", he had whispered to their newborn daughter. He often got so overly sentimental when he was emotional and she could often roll her eyes at it, but she felt her heart melt at his words this time.

"What if he stops loving me mother?!" she said, starting to cry. Her mother reached out for her then. Brought her into her arms and starting comforting her like only a mother could.

"He won't stop doing that my love", she answered, stroking her hair. "He might feel scared and insecure in your relationship from time to time, but he seems totally secure in his love for you."

"But why is he insecure in our relationship? I haven't ever given him any indication of wanting to leave him."

"He might still have hard to believe that you have chosen him over all those other men. At least that is the feeling I've got from watching you two together. It probably hasn't been helped by the fact that the people in our social circle, not least the men, tend to look down upon him. I mean, remember when he first showed up here after you had brought your father home. They were more or less openly hostile towards him."

"But I defended him then. I proposed to him. It was I who said we should settle down together for the rest of our lives."

"Yes, but he probably once thought his marriage to his first wife would be for the rest of his life too."

"But what can I do to make him feel secure?"

"Talk to him and listen to him about his thoughts and feelings. And most of all love him. I know you sometimes deal with men like you do your father, but Jack is nothing like him."

"I know that", she answered quietly. "I think that is why I love him so much."


	26. Chapter 26

He couldn't sleep. He had no idea why she suddenly wanted to talk about his feelings. There was no reason fighting over that now when they were parted by half a world. He had barely complained when she wanted to stay. If he told her how he felt, she would get mad. She would yell at him for wanting to control her if he told her he wanted her by her side all the time. She would get mad if he said that he worried for her. He turned around, looking at the empty side of the bed beside him. He had shared a bed with her for eleven years. Had shared a home and a life with her. She had been the one who wanted him to move into Wardlow. She was the one who had proposed marriage to him. He hadn't forced her to keep Ophelia. He knew how important her freedom was to her. He never wanted her to give that up. He just wished she wouldn't think of him and Ophelia as limitations to that freedom. He knew she loved them, but he couldn't be sure that would be enough for his freedom seeking wife.

Sometimes he thought it unbelievable that she and chosen him over all the other suitors. She had even gone so far as proposing to him and had carried their child. What would happen to Ophelia if Phryne decided to leave them? Would she want to see her daughter, even if she didn't ever want to see or talk to him ever again.

He loved taking care of Ophelia. Loved to talk to her and try to answer all of her questions. Some were rather tricky. He couldn't help but smile at the question of this morning: " _If all the elephants in the world, would suck up water in their trunks so they almost exploded, would there be any water left in the oceans?_ "

Both Phryne and himself agreed that it was better to answered any question Ophelia might have as honestly as possible. If she asked an honest question, she deserved an answer that was just as honest. Nothing good ever came out of lying to a child, thinking the child to young to understand complicated concept. Ophelia often surprised him by how curious she was and how much she understood.

A thought suddenly struck him: what if Phryne left and brought Ophelia with her?! The thought was unbareable. Living without Phryne would crush his heart, but living without both of them would probably kill him.

Quickly, he kicked off the quilt and rose up from the bed. He had to see her!

He opened the door to his daughter's room quietly, so as not to wake her. He smiled at the sight before him. As usual, she lay upside-down in bed, her legs and arms spread out like a starfish, using her pink teddy bear Victor that she had got from his mother when she was born as a pillow. He bent beside her bed and stroked her cheek carefuly. The love he felt for her was immense.

"Dad.." left the little girl's mouth as his hand touched her skin. She did not wake up, rolling over and turning his face away from him. "Wanna sleep."

He reached forward and kissed her on the head, thinking he would fight for her. The need of freedom inside of his wife might be too strong to hold her tied to him, but he was not going to give up his rights to his daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know. The question Little O asked her father has been asked by a child close to me.  
> And Viktor is the name of my own, pink teddy bear. I had a pink rabbit called Rosie too, but she didn't get a fictional counterpart since it would probably be weird to Jack.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't notice. I took away the author's note and uploaded a Jack-centered chapter the other day. This chapter will make more sense if you read that one first.

They seldom had dinner just the two of them. Normally some or all of their mismatched family joined them,  but not tonight. Even Mr Butler had turned down their offer, saying he had a meeting with the neibourhood butler's association. She watched her father from across the table. He seemed sad. Something clearly worried him. She didn't like it when he became like this. It didn't happen often, but he went even more quiet than usual and

"Are you sad mum's not coming?" she tried asking.

"No", he answered, but his voice sounded off.

"Are you mad a me?" she tried again. This time a little worried. "I don't think I have done anything bad all day."

This got a reaction from him. He startled and looked at her.

"No darling!" he said gently, dropping his cutlery and reaching over to stroke her on the cheek. "I'm not mad at you. You don't have to worry about anything."

He smiled at her, but she could see that there was still sadness in his eyes.

The sound of the telephone ringing out in the hall, brought them both out of their moment. Not waiting for her father to say anything, she jumped out of her seat and bolted out of the dining room towards the telephone.

"Hello, this is Ophelia Robinson", she said into the reciever.

"Hi darling", her mother's voice could be heard on the other end. "How are my beautiful girl today?"

"I'm fine. We're having dinner and it's only dad and me tonight."

"Oh?! Can I talk to dad?"

"DAD!" she yelled out.

"Ugh! Please Ophelia, let go of the reciever if you need to yell my love. You're hurting mummy's ears."

"Sorry mum!" she said quietly, kissing the reciever.

"It's ok dear", her mother answered and she heard her kissing the reciever back.

Her father showed up in the doorway to the dining room.

"Mum wants to talk to you", she said and he got a frightened look on his face. He swallowed. She could see his throat moving. "He's here mum. I love you", she continued into the telephone and kissed it again before holding out the reciever to her father.

He took the reciever from her and took a deep breath.

"Good evening Phryne", he said to her mother in a voice she hadn't heard before. He didn't sound or act like his normal calm self. She thought he sounded like James always did in school. Sad, lonely and scared. She moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up as he closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. His arm came around and held her close to him. "Can I call you after dinner?" he said to her mother on the telephone. Her mother said something back, that she couldn't hear and he put the reciever back into the holder quickly before pushing her away and almost running upstairs.

She stood still, shocked at her father's behaviour. He never said no to a hug from her, neither did he hung up on her mother. She heard a door slamming shut from upstairs and she realised she needed to go find him. He was sad for some reason and she needed to comfort him.

 

~~phrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrackphrack~~

 

She opened the door to her parents bedroom. The room was dark and the light from the upstairs corridor shone onto her father's back.

"Dad?" she asked quietly. He frozen and didn't turn towards her. "Dad?" she asked again.

"Go away Ophelia!" he said. His voice sounded smaller than she had ever heard it. She could hear her heart beating faster in her chest. He never told her to go! She took a couple of steps towards him. Gently reaching out an arm, stroking him over the hair. He didn't turn around, but as her hand landed in his hair, she heard him give up a quiet sob.

"Please, don't be sad daddy", she said, trying to keep as steady a voice as he always used when comforting her. "I love you!"

He scooted over for her to get into bed behind him and she lay down in the vacant space, putting her arms around him. His hand found hers and they lay quietly like that for awhile.

"Are you mad at mum?" she dared to ask.

"I didn't want you to see me like this", he answered, his voice now calmer, stroking her hand with his.

"Why?" she answered. "When I'm sad and crying you always tell me to come to you or mum and tell you about what's hurting."

He sighed, turning around to face her.

"I don't want to lose you darling", he whispered. She could see his eyes were swollen red and his cheeks still held some tears.

"But I'm right here daddy", she said, trying not to tear up herself by his words and the sight of him. "I don't want to go anywhere. Are you and mum fighting?"

"No, but she might be mad at me."

"She might be? You don't know for sure?"

"No."

"Then why don't you talk to her about it. She didn't seem mad at all when she talked to me. She wanted to talk to you. Someone who is mad, doesn't ask to talk to someone they're mad at."

She could see her father considering this.

"Sometimes we need to just face the truth daddy."

She could see a sad smile forming on his mouth at this. He pulled her into his embrace, hugging her tightly.

"You certainly are my smart little girl."


End file.
